PyeongChang now into 'operational phase' two years ahead of Winter Olympics

With about two years to go until the first Winter Olympics in South Korea, the top local organizer said Wednesday the preparation has moved into a new phase.

Cho Yang-ho, president of the organizing committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, said the eastern resort town and its sub-hosts are well on their way to a successful Olympics.

"Construction for all new competition and non-competition venues is on track and will be completed in time," Cho said at a press conference in Seoul. The PyeongChang Games will start on Feb. 9, 2018. "We have moved from the planning phase of the games to the operational phase, and with two years to the games, finalizing many details."

Cho was speaking three days before the start of the International Ski Federation Alpine Skiing World Cup at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Jeongseon, near PyeongChang in Gangwon Province. The World Cup, where the men's downhill and Super-G will be contested, is the first Olympic test event to be held in South Korea, as the host and its satellite towns look to evaluate their ability to stage international competitions.

The Jeongseon course, approved for competition last month, was designed by Bernhard Russi, a veteran slope architect who has designed most of the Olympic alpine slopes since the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary.

"We are excited to showcase this new course and bring alpine skiing to Korea for the first time," Cho said of the event, which will feature 195 athletes and officials from 16 nations, including most of the current World Cup points leaders. "We are proud to bring winter sports closer to Asia."

Cho continued that he was buoyed by the growing winter sports participation nationwide, saying PyeongChang should be able to realize its goal of expanding and promoting winter sports across the continent by hosting the Winter Olympics.

"I think the interest in winter sports has been increasing since we won the bid to host the Winter Olympics," he said. "For instance, more and more young people are taking interest in hockey, which has been a minor sport here. South Korea didn't use to be competitive in sledding events, but our athletes are posting great results in international competitions of late."

Looking two years down the road, Cho said PyeongChang is prepared for possible terrorist attacks during the Olympics -- "No country is guaranteed safe from terrorism," he said -- but declined to elaborate further on the host's security plans.

PyeongChang is also putting together its snow contingency plans in case warmer weather conditions become a factor. High temperatures and lack of snow have forced cancellations of some FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup races in the current season.

"We'll make sure our snowmaking capacity will be at 120 percent, not just at 100 percent," Cho said. "We're studying snow storage systems from the earlier Winter Olympics in Sochi and Vancouver." (Yonhap)